A Hundred Thousand Days
by Mari750
Summary: It had been seven years already. It took him some good fourteen months to move on, a little, and agree to move out and elsewhere with her. He needed a break. A break from his past, from the agony of having lost his wife and son. From losing part of his heart, part of his joy and will to live.
1. Chapter 1

The sound of piano filled the room with melancholic yet delightful music, played by skilled hands and a sorrowful heart.

She leaned against the door frame and for long minutes let herself be carried far away by the beautiful tune. Seemed like sad music was all he ever played.

A shame.  
>Nevertheless, she smiled.<p>

He was so distracted in his thoughts that he was startled when two arms snaked around his waist and a soft kiss was planted on his neck.

He smiled and leaned back into her embrace, the song becoming slower and slower until it stopped. Sighing lightly, he too caressed her arms with the same gentleness and care.

For long minutes, neither said anything, just took comfort in each other's presence. A few more kisses were planted on his neck. She stretched out her arm and with unskilled hands, played a short, soft tune.

He laughed. "Twinkle, twinkle little star?"

"Hey, I didn't get a hundred years' practice. Alicia taught me this when she was 7. Gotta say I felt pretty stupid and she was quite proud of herself."

Henry smiled at the memory of Jo's now 15 year-old niece. She was precious.

"I love your playing, love."

Jo smiled and kissed his neck again. "That's awfully nice of you. I like your playing too. Just wish you'd play something happier every once in a while."

She disentangled from the embrace and sat next to him on the small bench. She took a moment to marvel on his good looks, face neatly shaven and a cocky smile gracing his features with the most adorable dimple.

Not aging was definitely a plus… unlike herself. He insisted she was as beautiful as she was the day they met, but she begged to differ. Time did slowly take its toll on her skin, her once scarce graying hair becoming more abundant, little crow feet lines when she'd laugh. It didn't bother her that much, though, and it seemed to bother Henry even less. He had the rare and welcome ability to see through looks but still admire them.

"It was his favorite song.", he whispered.

Jo nodded. "I know."

It had been seven years already. It took him some good fourteen months to move on, a little, and agree to move out and elsewhere with her. Though his heart was heavy with grief and the fear of actually leaving all that behind – the furniture, his belongings, objects from his far-away past… Even some objects that had belonged to Abigail.

Jo was not one to feel jealous. She loved him, she understood him, but she also knew he needed a break. A break from his past, from the agony of having lost his wife and son. From losing part of his heart, part of his joy, part of his will to live.

The rest of them resided in her.

She was just that breath of fresh air and nurturing he had needed so bad, though he wouldn't have admitted to himself.

"Time sure flies.", she offered.

He kept quiet. He wouldn't say that. For a person that had all the time in the world, it sure dragged itself through his misery.

"Remember my friend Amanda?" Jo asked.

"How could I forget?" he smiled.

Jo smiled too. "She had been my best friend for twenty years. Some of the best times of my life were spent with her. I was devastated when her son died in that crash."

Henry nodded. He remembered.

"And then I couldn't believe it when she was gone."

Henry looked at her compassively, sliding his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. He remembered all too vividly – from the day he'd met Jo's chirpy and authentic friend, to the gloomy mourning days of the teen's death, to the final stages of a nasty disabling disorder two years back. Through all those days, Jo had been by her side, and Henry did what he could to show his support, even if he barely knew the woman. After she passed away, Jo had had the most difficult times. He was there for her, and eventually she started smiling and laughing again as if she hadn't just lost a friend closer than a sister. He did admire this woman's strength.

Jo laughed hard. "Some days, she kept going on and on about how we should have a small wedding, and she'd be the bridesmaid, and give us an enormous bed so we could make cute little babies for her to babysit. She was kinda messed-up." She swallowed hard and smiled, fighting back tears. She remembered that day, when she admitted to her friend that she would marry him in the blink of an eye - in spite of knowing he had his reserves, that she someday would love to have children but wasn't so sure he'd want.

Of course he'd want. All of that.  
>It's just that… it's complicated.<br>Could he deal with outliving another child?  
>Could he bear celebrating his love without the presence of his other love?<p>

She cleared her throat and didn't think of any of the small grants and huge dreams she'd set aside for Henry. She only thought of her late friend for now. "We talked a lot. When my brother died, she told me to remember the good days only. Forget the end. Because everybody dies one day, we have to remember how happy they were. How happy they made us, how loved they made us. It was the best thing anyone could have told me, because he had died in a terrible, terrible road accident. I kept thinking about it, and it was all too… sad. So sad. He'd been the kindest guy. The best friend anyone could've had. And then… he was gone. But the memories remained. Of snowball fights, of riding a sledge, of Sunday afternoons at Grandma's… All those beautiful things he'd told me, and the birthday wishes, and the parties, the girlfriends, the sleep-overs. He made the best burgers, and told the best jokes. Those are all things I want to remember from him."

She paused.

"What do you want to remember, Henry? That you once had a son? Or that he was the little boy that brought you so much joy, and you had the honor and privilege to see developing, growing up, learning infinite things with that spark in his eyes, that unique sense of humor, that… amazing food he cooked. You were there when he got married, you were by his side when he split up and you were there for him every single day until the very end."

"No parent should watch their children die."

"I agree. But no parent gets to watch their children as closely as you have. And no parent should forget the joy they've brought them, not the pain. Let the pain go, Henry. You don't become any more mortal by holding onto it. It only makes you more miserable."

Henry didn't utter a word, but merely lowered his gaze.

"There's so much more to life than the past. You have all the time in the world, but you're not living. I'm here for you, baby, I'm here _with_ you. Take me somewhere nice. Let's travel. Let's… move to another country and start a new life. Let's…", she spoke softly, "let's have kids of our own. Let's have a happy home. Let's live."

Henry smiled melancholically and kissed her.

He just figured it wasn't the best time to tell her.

So instead, he held her face between his hands and looked at her. Such a lovely face. Such beautiful eyes, bearing so much love and tolerance and hope and dreams, and a tinge of sadness.

"You are right, Jo. You're right. I just… I've lived so many years, in so many places, did so many things, that I just grew tired of living. It's not fair to you, it's not fair at all. You deserve a better me. I'll be a better man, ok?", he promised, leaning his forehead against hers.

She nodded and kissed him.

A long time is spent on silence, and kisses and soft caresses. Time indeed flies, but neither seemed to care. They didn't care about anything else besides this long, loving hug. She held onto him and he wouldn't let go of her.

One hand tangled in her hair, the other caressing her back.

"I want to marry you, too", he whispers and tightens the embrace. "I love you so, very much, Jo."

She smiled against his clothed chest. "I know." – she did. She felt it. She saw it. No smile, no small gesture, no special date – even after all these years – went unnoticed. She felt it in the gentleness of his touch, on the worry in his eyes, on those rare moments he allowed himself to sleep in and relax next to her, heavy, tired arms keeping her close and soft kisses reminding her she belonged to him.

She knew it.

Softly, she pushed him away as she felt slightly nauseous.

"Starving. Out for waffles. Shall we?"

Henry smiled.

The young girl in golden hair and checkered apron took their orders and smiled, leaving the table.

Henry looked across the table at Jo and smiled, stretching out his hands to catch hers.

"Where would you like to go?", he asked.

"Uh, today?"

He shrugged. "Whenever. Anywhere you want."

"Jersey to visit my sister!"

He laughed. "Come on!"

She smiled and thought. "I… don't know. Maybe Italy. Never really thought about it."

"Surely there's a dream tucked in there somewhere?", he narrowed his eyes at her playfully.

She looked down at their hands. "A few."

She smiled awkwardly and he didn't say anything.  
>She cleared her throat. "I guess Italy would be nice."<p>

He nodded and let go of her hands when the waitress arrived and set the dishes on the table.

They thanked her and briefly looked at each other before eating.

Shortly after that, though, she felt she needed to talk. "I'm sorry, Henry. I don't want to put any pressure on you. I don't want to bother you… it's just… you gotta understand there are things I want as well."

He wiped his mouth and nodded, taking her hand into his once again. "I know that. I want it too, but it's…so hard for me. I'm just… terrified."

"Moments, Henry. Keep that in mind. Moments are what matter. This, here and now, is what matters. Allow yourself some happiness for once, without letting fear eat you up. You could live a thousand years, but if you don't actually live… what's the point? Is that how you want to live?"

He knew she was right, even if it was awfully hard for him. She was completely right, he had been living his life in fear of loving, of happiness, of suffering, of living. He was never one to take too many chances emotionally; he'd, as much as any mortal human, shield himself from heartbreak.

"Ok. Let's move elsewhere. We can go to Italy. Or France, or… England. Please, just not Jersey." She smiled, and he went on. "Let's have as many kids as you want, but you'll have to deal with it if they end up with the same situation as I'm in. But let's do it. Let's live a full life for as long as we can. And someday… you…" he trailed off and shook his head. "I'm really sorry."

Jo didn't say anything, merely looking at him. She knew he would make concessions, not without heartache, and she too feared the day she would leave him alone. They could lead a happy life, but never without the bitterness of immortality. He was cursed indeed.

"There is hope, though", he said, interrupting her musings. "I… may have found a way."

She frowned. "A way? Is this what I think it is?"

"Yes. I think I know it now."

She swallowed hard. As much as she'd hate leaving him, the opposite was not a much brighter option. "How?"

"Adam had a roommate."

"He did?", she echoed in surprise, remembering the creepy, creepy guy that used to stalk Henry, scare the wits out of everyone, till the day he disappeared – for good. She knew Henry had investigated into it, but she was too disturbed by the guy to ever care to ask.

"Yes. She was the only person he allowed to get near him. Also, he had an antique weapon in his possession. His roommate found it and was scared. One day, she confronted him, with this weapon in hand. He seemed scared, she demanded an explanation, but accidentally shot him."

"How do you know all this?"

"I interviewed her. He made sure to leave me some clues before-hand. It was all premeditated. I guess I wasn't the only one looking for a way out."

"Wow. That's quite a plain death. A plain death for somebody that didn't die… that actually killed him?" she snorted. "Sounds like a bad plot to a B-movie."

"It does. Except, it seems, this girl cared for him, and he must've cared enough for her to let her stick around."

"So… you're saying… he was killed by somebody who loved him?"

"I suspect so. That… or the old weapon working as a charm. Which is an even worse plot.", he smiled. "I'm more inclined toward the first theory, but I got the weapon just in case."

"Huh… yeah… I prefer the second option. Hey, maybe yours is your pocket-watch. Ever thought about it?", she side-tracked, feeling the tension in her stomach.

"It was my father's. It had belonged to my grandfather. Neither was immortal. Come on, Jo."

She looked outside the window at the people passing by, hands tucked into their coats as winter approached, eyes looking at the crowd without looking at anybody in particular. Her eyes filled up with unshed tears, not sure she could hold them much longer. "I don't think I could do it."

He pulled her hand and brought it to his face. "Look at me."

She hesitated.

"I trust you with all my heart. I want to live with you the happiest moments of our lives, and then be granted rest when your time comes, too. Knowing I can count on you, will lift a huge weight off me."

She covered her eyes with both hands and cried. She wanted to cried and say she wouldn't do it, she could never do it, but she couldn't. So she just cried as quietly as she could; as much as she hated putting on a scene in public, at this time she just didn't care.

She felt him sit next to her and leaned into his chest as Henry hugged her. She nodded. How could she not?

Little did she know, but she would see a much more positive Henry from that moment on. Because he felt finally he could be in peace.

Hope you liked it!

This is a one-shot, but there's another ending to it, which will be posted as part II; it is, however - and I must warn you - quite...extremely... sweet. So if you're not into fluff, you might wanna skip it xD Either way... read at your own risk! You've been warned xD

Reading this fic over I must admit their relationship seems quite...developed, and it might seem off to you guys too, but keep in mind that it takes place way off in the future, 7 years after Abe's death but not exactly seven years from now. Perhaps it would be fifteen from now, who knows; I left it open on purpose.

Comments are always fun! Thank you :)


	2. Chapter 2

Evening came too quickly for them, cuddled underneath three layers of blankets and warmers, sharing lazy kisses and idly talking of superficial matters and silly wordplay.

"Tomato. Dome. Tomb."

Henry scoffed. "I have no idea!"

"Anecdote. Inept. No, wait, this one's too hard…"

"But what was the secret?"

"You gotta figure it out!"

"You said it yourself, it was too hard!"

"No, I meant coming up with words with "ne" were too hard. Oh, wait, that's not—"

"Hah! That's what it was, the second and third letters…"

Jo grunted. Henry laughed at her grumpy face - she did often ruin her own games...

"You're adorable like that.", he said simply.

She moved on bed and laid on top of him, hair cascating around his face and her lips hovering above his. "How about this?"

Moaning hoarsely as he moved both hands to her back, Henry nipped at her lips temptively. "Adorably… wild."

"That's it?" she scoffed.

"That's not it. There's so much more. You're so incredibly hot, my love, but I'm so very hungry. I can't think. Not even about this. But you're quite a turn-on, if that's what you want to hear."

Jo rolled her eyes and moved away, sitting on her legs next to him, exposing her scarcely dressed torso as the covers slid down, hair shorter than shoulder-length exposing her neck teasingly. "Fine. But you'd better take me somewhere fancy tonight", she said and stormed out of the room.

Henry smiled and then mentally slapped himself. "Tantalizing! That's what I should've said!"

And he surely didn't let her down.

They went to this fancy little restaurant in Soho, that held a special meaning to them. There was a secluded table near the balcony waiting for them to arrive.

She smiled widely at him, approval clear in her eyes. He did often sport fashionable suits, and this one surely made him even more handsome.  
>The restaurant was cozy and the table had been neatly set for a romantic dinner.<p>

"This is where we had our first date! How sweet."

Henry smiled back, listening attentively to every word but completely unable to tear his gaze from her. She was stunning in her long, light-colored dress with small details in lace. "Nine years ago today, I brought the most brilliant woman here on a date." He paused. "I wonder where she went!"

Jo giggled and punched his arm as they sat.

"Yes! You're right here! Still right here. You accepted me for who I am, and I am honestly thankful for that, because I don't know what I would have done if you'd turned me down. Of course you couldn't possibly resist my charms, even though I was an arrogant, sad man back then. Now I'm just arrogant, but I haven't heard you complain about it yet."

She rolled her eyes. "Give me a few more years and I promise I will!"

"Oh, you will, I am sure." He laughed slightly, and his voice softened. "See, I've been thinking a lot about what you said this morning. Admittedly, about what we did in the afternoon as well" he said, shaking his eyebrows at her, earning a laughter. "But mostly about our talks. And I have come… to a conclusion."

She frowned at him, guessing where he was going. "Stop beating around the bush, Henry."

He laughed. "Alright. But let's take a walk first."

They left the table and walked out to the balcony.

The restaurant stood on the 67th floor, and the view was nothing short of amazing.  
>The evening was chilly and windy, and quite frankly, she thought she wasn't dressed appropriately for this. But she bore with him.<p>

Henry wrapped his arms around her as she leaned on the railing, sighing softly.  
>Quietly, he spoke. "Did you ever think we'd be here someday?"<p>

She leaned back and shook her head – no.

"Me neither. Never would I have imagined… I could love again. I know it's tacky and I sound like a bitter old man, but love's been hard for me in the past few centuries."

She smiled.

He shifted slightly, picking something up from his pocket. Once he had it, he slid his arms beneath hers once again and popped the small velvet box open before her. She held her breath when she saw the delicate silver ring with tiny colored stones adorning it.

"Marry me?"

It was as simple as that. No speeches, no poems, nothing. It just didn't seem necessary.

She spun around to face him and caught that glimpse of hesitation.  
>It might've been cruel not to reply immediately, but she couldn't help but be mesmerized by him. Those gorgeous, loving eyes staring into hers. That lovely faltering smile waiting on her. Those inviting lips…<p>

They looked exactly the same as they had nine years prior, when he sheepishly invited her over for dinner, and on the terrace of his former apartment they shared their first kiss.

She slid her arm on his shoulders and kissed him deeply, pulling him closer to herself. For long minutes, there was no other reply.

Once they finally broke apart, Henry reached out to cup her face. "I'll take that as a 'yes'?"

She shook her head and smiled, on the verge of tears. "Of course it's a yes, Henry. Of course I will marry you."

Henry pulled her into a meaningful embrace, and they stayed glued to each other for a long while.

Until, of course, they heard someone else on the balcony clap and say, "Alright! Let's get this party starteeed!"

They jumped apart at the sound of a familiar voice. Jo was utterly confused and quinte honestly, a bit mad. "Lucas? What are you doing here!?"

A second later, she was probably more confused as to why he was wearing a suit. It took her a moment.

Jo laughed, seeming to get all the pieces together. "Oh, this gotta be a prank!"

Henry laughed. "Why?"

"Seriously? You're wearing a tux, and Lucas is here too, looking all important?"

Lucas did want to comment on the important part, but didn't get the chance.

"I didn't dress up enough for this!"

"You look fine!", Lucas said finally, handing her a small bouquet of lilies.

Henry smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "You're gorgeous, darling."

She was still laughing, "Unbelievable. You guys…"

Lucas cleared his throat and for the first time she paid attention to their surroundings. The balcony had been nicely, yet discreetly, adorned with flowers and lightly colored silk, small glasses with candles delicately hanging from the ceiling and on the railing. It was all so pretty that she didn't know how she'd missed all that. On the corner was a table with five white picture frames. One for Abe and Abigail, one for Amanda and another for her son, one for Jo's brother and the last one for Jo's late husband.

She covered her mouth in shock.

Henry softly whispered, "They couldn't make it here today, but they gave us their blessing."

She hugged him tightly and then both turned to their make-shift priest. It was quite entertaining for all of them.

Lucas cleared his throat.

"We are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses," and he pointed to the table with the pictures, "to FINALLY join Henry Morgan and Joan Martinez in matrimony. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together - let them speak now or forever hold their peace." He paused and looked at the pictures. It was quite silent until Henry cleared his throat to urge him on. "Right. So, uh, do… do you Henry, take Joan as your wife, to love and respect, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until uh, death?"

Henry smiled and looked at her, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it. "I do."

"Do you, Joan, take Henry as your husband, to love and respect, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death?"

She squeezed his hand and let her tears fall freely. "Yes. I do."

Henry turned towards her and slid the beautifully adorned ring onto her finger. "I, Henry, give you this ring as a symbol of my love and commitment to you."

She still cried softly, but managed to caress his face and smile lovingly.

Lucas finished:

"By the power vested in me by…uh…m-my boss, Henry, I FINALLY pronounce you husband and wife and husband/wife. You may kiss the bride".

Jo laughed and kissed Henry softly on the lips, full of mirth.

Once they were through with the improvised ceremony, the three had dinner quickly before Henry excused them. "It's been lovely, Lucas, I greatly appreciate your help, but we must go."

Jo was startled and nearly upset – there was still so much dessert to eat!  
>"Wait, what?"<p>

"I thought you'd said Italy, right? Is Venice good enough? Or do you prefer Rome?"

She couldn't quite reply. "I—I… I don't know! What?"

Henry cocked his head "I figured. So we'll go to both! See you in a week, Lucas! Lest we decide to live there!", he joke matter-of-factly, taking Jo by the hand and gently pulling her towards the exit. "Come on, wife, we got a plane to catch!"

"What!" was all she could muster before breaking into laughter. "You're unbelievable!"

They walked away quickly, leaving Lucas behind, with a half-empty bottle of wine, a smile plastered on his face and a bouquet of lilies.

One is never too old for a new beginning, it seemed.  
>And this was, for sure, the new beginning they deserved.<p>

\o/

Can't say I didn't warn ya u.u

Do I get comments? :D


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